The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-06-03
Pure and Manly.

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Gen. Robert Il. Lee was thought.
ful boy, for his mother had taught
him to practice self-denial and self
control, and to be economical in ex
pending money. His fathers death,
when the boy was but eleven years
oil age, made him a ''little man,
He did the marketing, managed
outdoor affairs, aud looked after
the comfort of bis invalid mother.
As soon as school had closed for
the noon recess, be rushed away
from the frolicksome boys, and bur
ried home to arrange tor his moth.
er's daily ride, Young as he was,
he carried her to the carriage, ar.
ranged the cushions, and seating
himself by her side, tried to enter
tam her, gravely reminding her
that the ride would fail to benefit
her unless she was cheerful.
"Robert is both son and a
daughter to me-" the mother used
to say.
He was the most metbodical of
managers, and the neatest of house
keepers. Unlike many boys, he did
not think it beneath him to attend
to details, or to do little things with
as much carefulness as if they were
large. While studying comic sec,
tions, he drew the diagrams on u
slate. Though he knew the one he
was drawing would be rubbed out
to make room for another, he drew
it with as much accuracy and neat.
hess rs if it were to be engraved.
After his return from the Mexl.
can war, his wife on opening his
trunk found in it every article of
clothing he had taken with him,
and bottle of brandy, which had
been put in for medicinal use,
unopened.
He never drank brandy or wbis-
key, and rarely glass of wine, and
lie never used tobacco. To appre-
bend the meaning of this fact, and
its powerful illustration OF the lads
self control, one must recall the
rollicking life aud drinking Gus.
toms OF Virginia during Gen. Lees
boy hood and youth.
During a school vacation, be was
guest in country house, where
the host, fascinating gentleman
of culture, lived a gay, wild lite.
Young Robert, who had been tram
ed to self control aud self denial,
was shocked. He made no CON.
ment on what he saw, but be refused
to join in the IeyelS.
The HnspOken rebuke brought to
his bedside, the night before his
departure, the penilent host. The
youths abstinence had shamed him,
aud he, man of the world, came
to confess to his youthful guest
sorrow for the wild lite he was
leading.
Earnestly he warned him to be-
were of acquiring drinking habits,
dnd urged him to persist in bis
temperate course Of life. On leav-
ing him, the host promised he would
try TO reform.
Yet this methOlical, self contrOll-
ed, affecti0uate, serviceable boy
was no ''gOody." He was the son
of "Light.Horse Harry" of the
Revolution, and Inherited bis faith.
er's martial spirit. He choose the
army tor his profession, aud friends
aud relatives approved the choice.
He entered West Point at the
age of eighteen, graduated second
in his class, and, during the four
years OF cadet lite, did not receive
q demerit mark for any breach of
rules or neglect of duty. He avoid.
ed tobacco and Intoxicating liquors,
never uttered a word to which a
woman might not bave listened,
aud never did deed which his
mother could not have approved.
Lads who think it effeminate to
be good, aud manly to be bad, are
lsked to harmOnize their notions
vite the pure, noble boyhood of
zen. Robert E. Lee.